Agenda

Day 1 - Wednesday 29th August, 2018

8:00

Registration, coffee & networking

8:30

Welcome remarks from the Chair

Ian Yates AM

Chief Executive

COTA Australia

Ian Yates AM

Chief Executive,
COTA Australia

Ian Yates is Chief Executive of COTA Australia, the national peak body for COTAs (Councils on the Ageing) in each State and Territory of Australia. Ian was appointed CE of COTA SA in June 1989 and has played national leadership roles in COTA since 2002.

COTAs are the peak aged consumer organisation in each state and territory and nationally, with thousands of organisational members representing over 500,000 seniors, plus 30,000 individual members.

Ian serves on a wide variety of federal government and aged care sector national bodies. He is a member of the Federal Government’s Aged Care Financing Authority; the Aged Care Sector Committee and the Aged Care Quality Advisory Council of the Aged Care Quality Agency and the Department of Health’s ACFI Monitoring Group. Ian is the COTA representative on the National Aged Care Alliance and its Sponsors Group. He is a Board member of the Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) in SA.

Beyond aged care Ian is a member of the Consumer Advisory Panel to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), a Director of Livable Housing Australia, and a member of the Advisory Board of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR).

Ian is Chair of the Management Committee of the Australasian Journal on Ageing (AJA) and serves as a Director of COTA’s Insurance and Membership Services Ltd (IMS).

Ian has previously been a Director of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency and has served on the Consumer Consultative Committee to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), the National Forum on Mature Age Participation, and the former Ageing Consultative Committee to the Federal Minister for Ageing.

Over the last decade Ian has been Deputy Chancellor of Flinders University and Chair of its Strategic Resources Committee and various other Committees; Chair of the Cancer Council SA and a Director of the Cancer Council Australia; Deputy Chair of the Repatriation General Hospital in SA; Deputy Chair of the SA Council of Social Service; Board Member of the Southern Adelaide Health Service; Board Member of the Flinders Medical Centre; and a member of the SA Government’s Health Performance Council.

Ian holds a BA from Flinders University; is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; is an Honorary Doctor and Emeritus Deputy Chancellor of Flinders University; and was awarded Membership in the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2005.

Understanding policy & potential future regulation

8:40

MINISTERIAL ADDRESS

The Hon. Matt Kean MP

NSW Minister for Innovation & Better Regulation

The Hon. Matt Kean MP

,
NSW Minister for Innovation & Better Regulation

Matt Kean became the youngest member of the NSW Legislative Assembly when he was elected as the member for Hornsby in 2011.

After increasing his margin at the 2015 election, the former chartered accountant and PwC senior manager was elected to chair the NSW Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on the Office of the Valuer General. Under his stewardship, the committee recommended radical changes to the system of land valuation in NSW to make it fairer for home owners.

In January 2017, Matt was elevated to cabinet as the Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, giving him the opportunity to continue to be a champion for the little guy.

As minister, he is responsible for a diverse range of issues with a portfolio that includes consumer protection, workplace safety, and innovation.

So far, he has:

reformed the laws around gift cards to ensure a minimum three-year expiry date

attacked ticket scalpers with new laws to smash their dodgy business models

commissioned Kathryn Greiner to conduct an extensive review into retirement villages to improve the quality of life for their residents

initiated the Bergin Report into charitable fundraising, to ensure people can have confidence about their donations

tackled quad bike safety issues with a raft of reforms to reduce deaths and injuries

Matt counts mental health issues as a key concern. His first speech in parliament back in 2011 was dedicated to a young friend who had recently taken his own life. Matt is working on a program to improve mental health in the work places of NSW.

As a keen promoter of innovative technology and its power to improve the economy, Matt is committed to highlighting the ways innovative technology and thinking can improve quality of life, as well as the NSW economy.

In 2017, Kathryn Greiner was commissioned by the NSW Government to lead an inquiry into the retirement industry. The industry now eagerly awaits the government’s response to her final report, which was delivered in December.

Beyond that influential inquiry, she has contributed in a wide range of leadership positions in public and private companies, government bodies and non-profit organisations. She was an elected Councillor to the City of Sydney Council from 1995 until 2004.

Kathryn has held Directorships for Pacific Power, John Singleton Advertising; Carlovers Ltd and The Financial Planning Association and been a Member of the Council of Bond University and Member Advisory Council L.E.K. Consulting.

She is the Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing and Chair of Biotechcapital Ltd. Kathryn is also a member of the Schools Funding Review Panel.

Kathryn’s non-profit activities include or have included: Director Bell Shakespeare Company; Chair Salvation Army Red Shield Appeals; Chair of Save the Children Australia and Chair of Sydney Peace Prize Foundation.

She is a graduate of UNSW and received an Order of Australia in 2001 for services to social welfare, local government and philanthropy awareness.

9:40

Understanding the legal requirements of consumer protection

Making sense of consumer protection law

Writing contracts that protect you and your customer

Processing complaints and mitigating issues with existing contracts

Rose Webb

Commissioner

NSW Fair Trading

Rose Webb

Commissioner,
NSW Fair Trading

Rose has a wealth of Australian and international experience in the regulatory space, including a recent three-year period working as Senior Executive Director and then Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong’s Competition Commission from 2014 to 2017.

While working in Hong Kong, Rose was responsible for administering the Competition Ordinance, which was established to promote competition and to restrict anti-competitive conduct in Hong Kong.

Rose led complaint handling, competition investigations and the provision of competition policy advice to government. Between 2001 and 2008, and again between 2011 and 2014, Rose worked for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), most recently serving as Executive General Manager, Mergers and Acquisitions. As the ACCC’s NSW Regional Director from 2001 to 2005, Rose worked closely with NSW Fair Trading.

Rose served as Assistant Secretary with the Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities from 2008 to 2011, where her responsibilities included monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities under environmental law.

Prior to his commencement as Deputy Secretary, Regulation and Director, Consumer Affairs at the Department of Justice and Regulation in Victoria, Simon Cohen was the national Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman from 2010 to 2015. Simon has worked in senior dispute resolution and regulation roles for more than a decade, and has over 20 years’ experience in complaints investigation and dispute resolution.

Simon has a First Class Honours degree in Law from the University of Queensland.

Rose Webb

Commissioner

NSW Fair Trading

Rose Webb

Commissioner,
NSW Fair Trading

Rose has a wealth of Australian and international experience in the regulatory space, including a recent three-year period working as Senior Executive Director and then Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong’s Competition Commission from 2014 to 2017.

While working in Hong Kong, Rose was responsible for administering the Competition Ordinance, which was established to promote competition and to restrict anti-competitive conduct in Hong Kong.

Rose led complaint handling, competition investigations and the provision of competition policy advice to government. Between 2001 and 2008, and again between 2011 and 2014, Rose worked for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), most recently serving as Executive General Manager, Mergers and Acquisitions. As the ACCC’s NSW Regional Director from 2001 to 2005, Rose worked closely with NSW Fair Trading.

Rose served as Assistant Secretary with the Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities from 2008 to 2011, where her responsibilities included monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities under environmental law.

Realigning brand to meet changing customer needs

11:30

Building a customer centric brand

Insights from New Zealand on the strengths and weaknesses of the retirement industry

Improving the quality of your service offering to customers

Connecting high level executive with the coal face of your organisation

Julian Cook

Chief Executive Officer

Summerset

Julian Cook

Chief Executive Officer,
Summerset

Julian has overall responsibility for Summerset and is focused on developing and operating vibrant villages, and ensuring that respect for our customers is always at the core of everything we do.

Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2014, Julian was Summerset’s Chief Financial Officer from 2010 onwards. He oversaw Summerset’s transition to become a publicly listed company on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange.

Julian is a member of the Executive Committee for the New Zealand Retirement Villages Association and a Fellow of CPA Australia.

12:10

Understanding & engaging with baby boomers & their families

Learning the demographics and trends of your market

Discussing how to adapt your brand to generational changes and attitudes

Janene joined Ingenia Communities in August 2013 as General Manager Care Development and has responsibility for the development and operation of the Group’s care and re-enablement program, Ingenia Care.

Janene brings to the Group extensive experience in health, retirement and aged care strategy and operations, having held senior management positions with Australian Unity, Catholic Healthcare and St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

Janene holds an MBA (Macquarie) and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Governance Institute of Australia.

She has substantial experience as a Board Director for industry and consumer associations, not-for-profit companies and NSW Government Councils.

12:50

Networking lunch

1:50

INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Ensuring customer understanding of contracts

Listening to feedback and handling complaints

Building trust in retirement living

Communicating your value offering

2:30

Prioritising the customer in every aspect of business

Understanding their expectations and interests and ensuring clarity of contracts

Identifying the shared interests of consumers, the community, and the business

Michael is the General Manager of Sales and Legal Administration for Stockland Retirement Living Michael joined Stockland Retirement Living as Head of Asset Management in 2014 after a retail property career across Lend Lease, AMP Capital and Westfield. He has overseen the reshaping of the Group’s asset portfolio including the acquisition of the Freemason portfolio in South Australia, the divestment of non-core villages across WA and Victoria, the introduction of childcare and medical centres to the Stockland Development pipeline and the introduction of strategic care partners across the portfolio. Michael took over as Head of Sales in July 2017 and has overseen the introduction of national contract choice and the adoption of a new CRM system to tailor the selling experience for customers. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from UNSW.

3:10

Afternoon tea & networking

Differentiating & communicating value

3:40

Effectively promoting retirement services to potential residents & the community

Planning an affirmative organisational response to media scrutiny

Generating positive publicity and cutting through with good news stories

Conducting market research to effectively reach potential residents

Claire Ward

Executive Manager Marketing & Communications

Summitcare

Claire Ward

Executive Manager Marketing & Communications,
Summitcare

4:20

Aligning service delivery with customer needs

Building a strong brand and clearly communicating your value offering to potential customers

Ensuring transparency and openness in marketing strategies throughout the customer journey

5:00

Closing remarks from the Chair & close of Day One

Day 2 - Thursday 30th August, 2018

8:00

Welcome, coffee & networking

8:30

Welcome remarks from the Chair

Ian Yates AM

Chief Executive

COTA Australia

Ian Yates AM

Chief Executive,
COTA Australia

Ian Yates is Chief Executive of COTA Australia, the national peak body for COTAs (Councils on the Ageing) in each State and Territory of Australia. Ian was appointed CE of COTA SA in June 1989 and has played national leadership roles in COTA since 2002.

COTAs are the peak aged consumer organisation in each state and territory and nationally, with thousands of organisational members representing over 500,000 seniors, plus 30,000 individual members.

Ian serves on a wide variety of federal government and aged care sector national bodies. He is a member of the Federal Government’s Aged Care Financing Authority; the Aged Care Sector Committee and the Aged Care Quality Advisory Council of the Aged Care Quality Agency and the Department of Health’s ACFI Monitoring Group. Ian is the COTA representative on the National Aged Care Alliance and its Sponsors Group. He is a Board member of the Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) in SA.

Beyond aged care Ian is a member of the Consumer Advisory Panel to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), a Director of Livable Housing Australia, and a member of the Advisory Board of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR).

Ian is Chair of the Management Committee of the Australasian Journal on Ageing (AJA) and serves as a Director of COTA’s Insurance and Membership Services Ltd (IMS).

Ian has previously been a Director of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency and has served on the Consumer Consultative Committee to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), the National Forum on Mature Age Participation, and the former Ageing Consultative Committee to the Federal Minister for Ageing.

Over the last decade Ian has been Deputy Chancellor of Flinders University and Chair of its Strategic Resources Committee and various other Committees; Chair of the Cancer Council SA and a Director of the Cancer Council Australia; Deputy Chair of the Repatriation General Hospital in SA; Deputy Chair of the SA Council of Social Service; Board Member of the Southern Adelaide Health Service; Board Member of the Flinders Medical Centre; and a member of the SA Government’s Health Performance Council.

Ian holds a BA from Flinders University; is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; is an Honorary Doctor and Emeritus Deputy Chancellor of Flinders University; and was awarded Membership in the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2005.

Rebuilding community trust in retirement living

8:40

KEYNOTE: Transforming public perception of retirement living

Responding to negative public perception and feedback

Developing and implementing an 8 point plan to drive retirement living forward

Next steps for providers to build trust and community engagement

Alison Quinn

CEO & President

RetireAustralia & Retirement Living Council

Alison Quinn

CEO & President,
RetireAustralia & Retirement Living Council

Alison Quinn is the Chief Executive Officer of RetireAustralia, the largest privately owned retirement village operator in Australia, with a portfolio of 27 villages nationally, including 3,700 villas and apartments.

Alison is one of Australia’s most experienced property executives with an extensive track record of success, having previously held positions as Executive General Manager Retirement at Aveo Group, CEO Growth Management Queensland for the Queensland State Government and Executive General Manager of Sanctuary Cove, a leading master-planned residential resort community on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

She has extensive development and investment experience in the seniors housing, property and constructions sector. Additionally, Alison has held Chair and Board memberships across multiple public sector growth projects.

Holding a degree in Commerce from the University of Queensland, Alison is currently the National President of the Retirement Living Council.

9:20

Understanding the resident’s perspective & collaborating for improvements in retirement living

Working with all stakeholders to develop a strong and fair industry

Listening to customer concerns and feedback

Promoting best practice

Jim Gibbons

Vice President

Retirement Village Residents Association

Jim Gibbons

Vice President,
Retirement Village Residents Association

Jim Gibbons is Vice President of the Retirement Village Residents Association. He has been a resident of a retirement village for four years. As a former assistant commissioner for consumer affairs in NSW and CEO of a large industry association, Jim has insights into public sector policy development, the aspirations of industry representation and the practical application of statutes. He thinks good, effective consumer policy must be developed with active participation and representation from both industry and consumers and this is the challenge, post the Greiner Report era. Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sydney University and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management, UNSW.

Tracy joined UnitingCare Queensland in 2016 after two years as the Chief Commercial Officer for Blue Care.

Tracy has extensive executive experience across a range of roles and industry sectors. She is a former Financial Services partner of KPMG Brisbane, through which she led Suncorp’s national Corporate Banking business for a number of years. She then spent more than four years in a variety of roles with RSL Care in business development, asset management, property investment, development and facilities management, and retirement living. Prior to joining Blue Care she held the position of Chief Executive Officer of a multi-state specialist law firm.

Tracy is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy – with Distinction) and a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting – with Distinction). She is also a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, Additionally, Tracy is an experienced Non-Executive Director, with experience on various government and not-for-profit Boards, as well as being an active participant in various industry bodies.

Alistair Christie

President

Australian Retirement Village Residents Association

Alistair Christie

President,
Australian Retirement Village Residents Association

Alistair Christie grew up in Canberra, taught in Queanbeyan Primary School, was accepted as a candidate for ministry in the Presbyterian Church; has lived in many rural and urban communities within NSW and ACT. In various communities he has been involved in existing schools, local organisations, hospital boards, seniors groups, development of early childhood (preschools), many ecumenical activities and more recently a men’s shed,.

He lives in Adria Retirement Village, Stirling ACT; is currently President of both the ACT Retirement Village Residents Association and Australian Retirement Village Residents’ Associations. He describes himself as a Minister of the Uniting Church living in active retirement.

In 2017, Kathryn Greiner was commissioned by the NSW Government to lead an inquiry into the retirement industry. The industry now eagerly awaits the government’s response to her final report, which was delivered in December.

Beyond that influential inquiry, she has contributed in a wide range of leadership positions in public and private companies, government bodies and non-profit organisations. She was an elected Councillor to the City of Sydney Council from 1995 until 2004.

Kathryn has held Directorships for Pacific Power, John Singleton Advertising; Carlovers Ltd and The Financial Planning Association and been a Member of the Council of Bond University and Member Advisory Council L.E.K. Consulting.

She is the Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing and Chair of Biotechcapital Ltd. Kathryn is also a member of the Schools Funding Review Panel.

Kathryn’s non-profit activities include or have included: Director Bell Shakespeare Company; Chair Salvation Army Red Shield Appeals; Chair of Save the Children Australia and Chair of Sydney Peace Prize Foundation.

She is a graduate of UNSW and received an Order of Australia in 2001 for services to social welfare, local government and philanthropy awareness.

Alison Quinn

CEO & President

RetireAustralia & Retirement Living Council

Alison Quinn

CEO & President,
RetireAustralia & Retirement Living Council

Alison Quinn is the Chief Executive Officer of RetireAustralia, the largest privately owned retirement village operator in Australia, with a portfolio of 27 villages nationally, including 3,700 villas and apartments.

Alison is one of Australia’s most experienced property executives with an extensive track record of success, having previously held positions as Executive General Manager Retirement at Aveo Group, CEO Growth Management Queensland for the Queensland State Government and Executive General Manager of Sanctuary Cove, a leading master-planned residential resort community on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

She has extensive development and investment experience in the seniors housing, property and constructions sector. Additionally, Alison has held Chair and Board memberships across multiple public sector growth projects.

Holding a degree in Commerce from the University of Queensland, Alison is currently the National President of the Retirement Living Council.

11:30

CASE STUDY: Engaging the community & delivering business growth with a values based approach

Achieving business growth through a customer and service led focus

Leveraging the strengths of a “for purpose” trusted brand

Overcoming the constraints in growth by providing increased services through partnership and collaboration

Tracy Dare

Group Executive Commercial Services

Blue Care

Tracy Dare

Group Executive Commercial Services,
Blue Care

Tracy joined UnitingCare Queensland in 2016 after two years as the Chief Commercial Officer for Blue Care.

Tracy has extensive executive experience across a range of roles and industry sectors. She is a former Financial Services partner of KPMG Brisbane, through which she led Suncorp’s national Corporate Banking business for a number of years. She then spent more than four years in a variety of roles with RSL Care in business development, asset management, property investment, development and facilities management, and retirement living. Prior to joining Blue Care she held the position of Chief Executive Officer of a multi-state specialist law firm.

Tracy is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy – with Distinction) and a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting – with Distinction). She is also a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, Additionally, Tracy is an experienced Non-Executive Director, with experience on various government and not-for-profit Boards, as well as being an active participant in various industry bodies.

12:10

Networking lunch

Delivering customer centric integrated services

1:10

Developing customer centric integrated care in retirement living

Insights from the aged care reforms and their implications for retirement living

The business and brand of integrated, customer driven care

Ian Yates AM

Chief Executive

COTA Australia

Ian Yates AM

Chief Executive,
COTA Australia

Ian Yates is Chief Executive of COTA Australia, the national peak body for COTAs (Councils on the Ageing) in each State and Territory of Australia. Ian was appointed CE of COTA SA in June 1989 and has played national leadership roles in COTA since 2002.

COTAs are the peak aged consumer organisation in each state and territory and nationally, with thousands of organisational members representing over 500,000 seniors, plus 30,000 individual members.

Ian serves on a wide variety of federal government and aged care sector national bodies. He is a member of the Federal Government’s Aged Care Financing Authority; the Aged Care Sector Committee and the Aged Care Quality Advisory Council of the Aged Care Quality Agency and the Department of Health’s ACFI Monitoring Group. Ian is the COTA representative on the National Aged Care Alliance and its Sponsors Group. He is a Board member of the Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) in SA.

Beyond aged care Ian is a member of the Consumer Advisory Panel to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), a Director of Livable Housing Australia, and a member of the Advisory Board of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR).

Ian is Chair of the Management Committee of the Australasian Journal on Ageing (AJA) and serves as a Director of COTA’s Insurance and Membership Services Ltd (IMS).

Ian has previously been a Director of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency and has served on the Consumer Consultative Committee to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), the National Forum on Mature Age Participation, and the former Ageing Consultative Committee to the Federal Minister for Ageing.

Over the last decade Ian has been Deputy Chancellor of Flinders University and Chair of its Strategic Resources Committee and various other Committees; Chair of the Cancer Council SA and a Director of the Cancer Council Australia; Deputy Chair of the Repatriation General Hospital in SA; Deputy Chair of the SA Council of Social Service; Board Member of the Southern Adelaide Health Service; Board Member of the Flinders Medical Centre; and a member of the SA Government’s Health Performance Council.

Ian holds a BA from Flinders University; is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; is an Honorary Doctor and Emeritus Deputy Chancellor of Flinders University; and was awarded Membership in the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2005.

1:50

Exploring best practice models of integrated care in retirement villages

Identifying the opportunities and responsibilities of offering a continuum of care

Hilda Johnson-Bogaerts is a registered nurse with extensive experience in the aged care sector both in New Zealand and in her native home of Belgium. She holds a Masters in Health Science (Hon) from the University of Auckland and a Diploma in Business Management (Health Management) from the same university. Further, she holds a Graduate Diploma in Nursing and in Teaching. She has held executive leadership positions in the community and residential care settings.

As General Manager of the Selwyn Institute for Ageing and Spirituality she is passionate about innovation, knowledge exchange, the facilitation of research and pilots regarding Ageing Well. Hilda led the development and trialled Selwyn’s new model of aged care, which won the New Zealand Aged Care Association’s overall ‘Excellence in Care Award’ in 2010. Since then this model is reflected in the physical design and operations of the new Selwyn Care Homes.

Building confidence in your brand through customer centric, values based initiatives

Craig Smith

Executive Leader Service Integrated Communities

Warrigal

Craig Smith

Executive Leader Service Integrated Communities,
Warrigal

Craig is the Executive Leader; Service Integrated Communities at Warrigal. He has worked in the Aged Care Sector in Senior Management positions since 2005. Craig has maintained a strong commitment to the not for profit sector, working with Credit Union Australia as the Regional Manager prior to working in aged care. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Wollongong.

Educating staff and residents to ensure understanding of your product and service offering

Identifying the shared interests of residents, the business & the community

Developing processes that focus on customer experience

Erik Boddeus

Executive Manager - Retirement Living

Goodwin Aged Care Services

Erik Boddeus

Executive Manager - Retirement Living,
Goodwin Aged Care Services

Erik is responsible for all activities within Goodwin’s Retirement Living division. Erik has more than 25 years’ experience in aged care and seniors’ living. After 13 years in the industry in The Netherlands, Erik moved to Australia in 2003, joining Hindmarsh in Canberra 2007 where he was National Retirement Manager from 2013 until joining Goodwin in 2017. Erik is Chair of the ACT Retirement Living Committee of the Property Council of Australia, and Co-chair of the Joint ACT Retirement Villages Residents Association/Aged and Community Services NSW/ACT Committee.

Key Speakers

Matt Kean became the youngest member of the NSW Legislative Assembly when he was elected as the member for Hornsby in 2011.

After increasing his margin at the 2015 election, the former chartered accountant and PwC senior manager was elected to chair the NSW Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on the Office of the Valuer General. Under his stewardship, the committee recommended radical changes to the system of land valuation in NSW to make it fairer for home owners.

In January 2017, Matt was elevated to cabinet as the Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, giving him the opportunity to continue to be a champion for the little guy.

As minister, he is responsible for a diverse range of issues with a portfolio that includes consumer protection, workplace safety, and innovation.

So far, he has:

reformed the laws around gift cards to ensure a minimum three-year expiry date

attacked ticket scalpers with new laws to smash their dodgy business models

commissioned Kathryn Greiner to conduct an extensive review into retirement villages to improve the quality of life for their residents

initiated the Bergin Report into charitable fundraising, to ensure people can have confidence about their donations

tackled quad bike safety issues with a raft of reforms to reduce deaths and injuries

Matt counts mental health issues as a key concern. His first speech in parliament back in 2011 was dedicated to a young friend who had recently taken his own life. Matt is working on a program to improve mental health in the work places of NSW.

As a keen promoter of innovative technology and its power to improve the economy, Matt is committed to highlighting the ways innovative technology and thinking can improve quality of life, as well as the NSW economy.

Alison Quinn

CEO & President

RetireAustralia & Retirement Living Council

Alison Quinn

CEO & President,
RetireAustralia & Retirement Living Council

Alison Quinn is the Chief Executive Officer of RetireAustralia, the largest privately owned retirement village operator in Australia, with a portfolio of 27 villages nationally, including 3,700 villas and apartments.

Alison is one of Australia’s most experienced property executives with an extensive track record of success, having previously held positions as Executive General Manager Retirement at Aveo Group, CEO Growth Management Queensland for the Queensland State Government and Executive General Manager of Sanctuary Cove, a leading master-planned residential resort community on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

She has extensive development and investment experience in the seniors housing, property and constructions sector. Additionally, Alison has held Chair and Board memberships across multiple public sector growth projects.

Holding a degree in Commerce from the University of Queensland, Alison is currently the National President of the Retirement Living Council.

In 2017, Kathryn Greiner was commissioned by the NSW Government to lead an inquiry into the retirement industry. The industry now eagerly awaits the government’s response to her final report, which was delivered in December.

Beyond that influential inquiry, she has contributed in a wide range of leadership positions in public and private companies, government bodies and non-profit organisations. She was an elected Councillor to the City of Sydney Council from 1995 until 2004.

Kathryn has held Directorships for Pacific Power, John Singleton Advertising; Carlovers Ltd and The Financial Planning Association and been a Member of the Council of Bond University and Member Advisory Council L.E.K. Consulting.

She is the Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing and Chair of Biotechcapital Ltd. Kathryn is also a member of the Schools Funding Review Panel.

Kathryn’s non-profit activities include or have included: Director Bell Shakespeare Company; Chair Salvation Army Red Shield Appeals; Chair of Save the Children Australia and Chair of Sydney Peace Prize Foundation.

She is a graduate of UNSW and received an Order of Australia in 2001 for services to social welfare, local government and philanthropy awareness.

Alistair Christie

President

Australian Retirement Village Residents Association

Alistair Christie

President,
Australian Retirement Village Residents Association

Alistair Christie grew up in Canberra, taught in Queanbeyan Primary School, was accepted as a candidate for ministry in the Presbyterian Church; has lived in many rural and urban communities within NSW and ACT. In various communities he has been involved in existing schools, local organisations, hospital boards, seniors groups, development of early childhood (preschools), many ecumenical activities and more recently a men’s shed,.

He lives in Adria Retirement Village, Stirling ACT; is currently President of both the ACT Retirement Village Residents Association and Australian Retirement Village Residents’ Associations. He describes himself as a Minister of the Uniting Church living in active retirement.